Archuleta hasn’t yet had a platinum disc – his self-titled debut is about to be certified as such – but more than a year and a half after he lost to David Cook, he’s got a Christmas disc on the charts, another tour underway and another album and book on the way.

With “Christmas From the Heart,” Archuleta is back on the road, and plays Stroudsburg’s Sherman Theater on Dec. 18.

To promote the show, he recently spoke in a telephone call from Los Angeles, an early stop on the Christmas tour.

Where did the idea for a Christmas CD come from?

“Christmas music has just been something that I’ve always been so into, ever since I was a little kid. We used to go Christmas caroling and that’s like the early parts of my performing. The first time I ever remember performing for an audience was Christmas – Christmastime. I remember singing, some of the first songs were ‘I saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus.’ [Laughs heartily]. And stuff like that that. But I used to go caroling with my brothers and sisters and, when I was younger, with my cousins, too. But mainly with my brothers and sisters, just going out to various houses and singing the songs. So it’s fun to be able to have those songs on the Christmas album: ‘Silent Night’ and stuff. It’s fun to have those songs that I used to sing. My family used to perform at retirement homes, hospitals and stuff and it’s just fun being able to do that. It’s just really great memories for me. Every year we just always got involved in Christmas music and just the holiday spirit of music. So it’s fun to now be able to do an album. We’re given the opportunity to do it, so it’s like, well, let’s go for it. And so it’s been a really great experience to be able to do it.”

But did you bring the idea to Jive Records (his label), or did they bring the idea to you?

“I guess I kinda like brought the idea, and they were like, ‘Yeah!’ [Laughs] It was actually something that we talked about earlier on, last year even, just mentioning it. And then this year we were given the opportunity to do it. We weren’t given a whole lot of time because the time that I was working on it, I was on summer tour. I was on tour with Demi Lovato for the summer and so whenever I had a day off her and there I’d go record. And then after the tour I tried recording as much as we could and get as much as we could then. But I’m happy how everything turned out.”

Since you mentioned Demi Lovato, let me ask you about that tour. How did it come about that you were the opening act for her?

“Actually, I was a special guest, and then there was an opening act before me. They just invited me to come on the tour and I was like, ‘OK.’ [Laughs] And it was fun – it was a lot of (Continued)

fun. It’s fun getting to do arenas again. Demi’s so talented – she’s really cool. And then the opening acts that we got to tour with also were really cool. For the first part of the tour, we had this group called KSM.

I saw you guys when you performed in Wilkes-Barre.

“Oh, cool, yeah. It was a lot of fun. And then the second part, there was Jordan Pruitt was the opening act. It was a just a real fun tour. All the people that worked on the tour were really nice and the crowds were just always a lot of fun.”

I also saw you did a duet with Miley Cyrus on her latest Hannah Montana disc. And I was wondering: You have the Demi Lovato tour, you have that. Is a Disney connection something you’re pursuing? Because, obviously, Disney is huge in music. How did that come about?

“Um, the opportunities just came. I got invited to do it, I guess [Laugh]. Disney’s been a great support. They’ve just been so fun. I guess my image just fits that. I haven’t really tried to do the Disney thing, I guess I just automatically had that kind of image [laughs]. I guess I try to keep a pretty clean image, and my music is very pop and stuff. I’m happy to know that my music is OK for kids. It’s funny to see how many – especially at these shows – I mean, half of them are kids and then the other half is, I don’t know, I guess from the ‘American Idol’ audience, just a lot of older people, too. [Laughs] It’s fun to know my music isn’t only just for a certain kind of people or only these certain persons can listen to it. It’s for anyone who wants to enjoy the music. It’s not ‘This was written for girls age 8 to 13. And this song was written for girls age 15 to 17.’ It’s just these are songs that I’m trying, and it’s for anyone. And that was another goal with the Christmas album – to get music that did not have any boundaries and did not have any restrictions, or at least to let people think there were no restrictions like ‘Oh, this is only for my kids.’ It’s like, no, this is just music. It’s not so only you and you can enjoy it, it’s for anyone who wants to listen can enjoy it. So that was another thing I was really happy to be able do a Christmas album. ‘Cause with Christmas music, there aren’t any boundaries. It’s for anyone to enjoy.”

Speaking of the clean image, do you have any thoughts on Adam Lambert’s appearance on the “American Music Awards”?

“You know, I didn’t watch the awards. I’ve been hearing a little about it, but I didn’t watch it. So I don’t … [Laughs]. I guess that’s just his, um, image, I guess. I don’t know. Did you have an opinion on him?”

I did. I wrote on my blog that I really think it hurt his career. I think it was a bad move. Whether it was true to him or not is not for me to decide, but I thought as a career move it was a bad move.

“Oh yeah? I guess that’s part of being an artist. You just get to choose what you show the people and what you show them in a performance and stuff like that. That’s part of being an artist – you show what … I don’t’ know where I’m going, I guess. I don’t know what to say.” [Laughs]

Different subject: Are you working in a CD of new material as well?

“I am. That’s something I’ve been doing – a lot of writing this time. I’m so excited because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I never thought I’d be good enough to do it, but they let me help write some of the songs on the last album, and I was able to write one of the Christmas songs called “Melodies of Christmas.” I really enjoy it because it’s like I get to say and share with people, ‘This is me and this is what’s on my mind and this is who I am.’ And just show more of my personality. And I’m just so excited to be able to show more of my personality to people this time around. And be able to show ideas that I have in my head and my thoughts, and my imaginative side. And I think it’ll be fun. It’s already been a lot of fun. I don’t know what all will make it on to the album at the end. I’m working hard and making sure I that I can get as much of myself on this album.”

What’s the music like? Is it more poppy? Is it more serious?

“It has more of my personality. I mean, I’m kind of quirky person. It’s not like I’m this deep, dark, mysterious person.For some reason, my personality, I’ve always been kind of open with who I am and kind of honest. And I want to be with that with my music. It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m just me. I’m this kind of quirky, dorky person. But this is what’s on my mind and these are the ideas I’ve had and this is what I want to say, and this is how I want to relate to people. And that’s what I want to do with the music. I’m kind of like a daydreamer kind of person, too, and so it’s like I want to show more of that imaginative side, but I also want to show part of that real kind of side, too.”

Sorry to jump around topics here, but are you dating at all? Do you have a girlfriend yet?

“Oh, no, not yet. I haven’t date in … well, I went on a date a couple months ago, but that shows how much I go date. I don’t go on dates. It wasn’t even like a serious date or anything. I’m not really serious, steady dating, anything like that. It’s just more like trying to get to know people, see what you like in a girl and stuff. And so I just kind of go ‘OK, I like these traits in this person, I like these traits.’ Just getting to know what you like and so on. ‘Cause I am 18, almost 19 – my birthday’s this month, December. But it’s not so much been focusing on it, just waiting for the right girl, I guess. Waiting for the right person. I don’t know.[Laughs]I guess I’ll have a better idea once I meet the person.”

Back in February, you told me you hadn’t had your first kiss yet. Have you yet?

[Laughs] “I’m still kind of waiting for that – once again, waiting for the right person. I don’t think it’s really something that you just look for a moment to do it. I don’t know,want to make sure it’s a special person, you know?” [Laughs]

Do you have a sense you’re starting to move past the ‘American Idol’ label?

“It’s weird, ‘cause it’s been like a year and a half since the whole thing, which is crazy to think about. But it’s like I feel like I’ve been with my own shows. I’ve gone on tour and stuff, I’m doing my own projects and stuff like that. That’s what people [focus on], ‘cause they’re the ones who voted for me and allowed me to do this. And I definitely owe a lot to that show and I’m really just grateful for all the people on that who helped me get to this point, ‘cause it really taught me so much. But the reason I wanted to do ‘American Idol’ was so I could be able to do my own career and stuff like that. So it’s not like I want to be, ‘Hi, I’m from ‘American Idol.’ ’ I’m David Archuleta and this is my whole experience. I’d like to get known for my music and I feel like I’m still growing and still learning how to work some stuff, and I think I’m getting a better grip and idea of how things work and learning more about myself as an artist and getting more involved with writing. I’m hoping that people will be able to say, ‘Hey, David Archuleta,’ just to be known for your heard work. I think that’s great to be known for. Be respected as an artist.”

I read that you are writing a memoir.

“Yeah. [Laughs] It’s kind of another thing that was like another opportunity that came up [Laughs]. I was like ‘What?’ At first, I was like, ‘I’m not old enough to talk about my life. I still have a lot more life to live, I hope, you know? [Laughs] But I just think it’s a cool thing to help people understand where I’m coming from, to share more of my story and the things that I’ve learned through all this. I guess people have been interested in what things I’ve gone through in my life, and stuff like that. So I just thought it was a good opportunity to be able to share with people: Like, ‘Yeah, this is what I’ve learned, and these are the things I’ve gotten to go through and this is what I’ve learned from them and, hopefully, sharing them, give people a way to get something out of it. I still have a lot more to learn, definitely, but the things I have learned have been helpful for me, and hopefully just sharing them. That’s the thing of it – just sharing the experiences I’ve been able to go through so far in this life.”

JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.